Elder Care Cafe

Welcome back!Although summer is winding down, there are still plenty of daylight hours left especially in the southern states. Many people, particularly aging seniors, are not aware how easy it is to get skin cancer. My mother spent a lot of time outdoors all her life, and in her later years developed skin cancer on [...]

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Macular degeneration is a chronic eye disease usually associated with aging, and in fact is the leading cause of severe vision loss in people over 60. Macula is the tissue just inside the back of your eye and is about the size of a pencil eraser. Macular degeneration occurs when the small central portion of [...]

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Many times you will hear the term active aging as it relates to the senior citizens of today.  Active aging means that seniors strive to remain active and strong into their later years to prevent the loss of mobility. Loss of mobility in seniors can drastically change their lifestyles and some might never recover. However, [...]

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As people age, socializing must rank right up there with diet and exercise on the ladder of importance.  When a spouse dies or an aging senior becomes ill, sometimes family and friends withdraw simply because the person no longer fits into their lifestyle. Instead of keeping busy and finding new friends, many seniors often become [...]

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For the past two weeks we have been highlighting six ways to reduce the risk of having a heart attack. Statistics show that almost every minute of the day someone in the United States has a heart attack. That is pretty scary stuff, don’t you think? So far we looked at the risk factors of [...]

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For the past week we have been discussing how to reduce heart attack risk. Not only does smoking cause heart attacks, the unhealthy habit can also cause cancer, breathing problems and strokes. Even inhaling secondhand smoke can cause damage with asthma and breathing problems. The most important step a smoker can take is to get help [...]

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If you recently found out you have high cholesterol you have not been given a death sentence. However, you are definitely at risk of a heart attack or stroke and need to take action to protect your health. The first plan of action is to address your cholesterol issues. While your doctor may prescribe a [...]

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There are many reasons that senior citizens should exercise on a regular basis, but the main one is that it helps to increase your overall health and ward off life-threatening diseases – especially those associated with aging. Simply put – exercising helps us age more gracefully. Almost everyone knows the sort of problems we face [...]

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As we age, one of the most important things we can do to stay healthy is to keep our blood pressure under control. Blood pressure is defined as the force of blood pushing against blood vessel walls. The role of the heart is to pump blood into your arteries, which then carries the blood throughout [...]

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In last Friday’s post I reviewed an interesting and inspiring book by Robert and Patricia Gussin titled What’s Next…for You? The couple took retirement to an all time high as they reinvented themselves from corporate America to authors, publishers, and winemakers.

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Managing caregiver stress is really on my mind this week. Not only have I had to deal with stress while caring for my elderly father since September 2006, but I have observed relatives who are caring for their family members. We are all of an age in our family where we are taking care of [...]

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In part 1 regarding whether someone can reverse or prevent type 2 diabetes, I mentioned a family member who was diagnosed with prediabetes, and how her weight loss and increase in exercise has placed her back into normal blood sugar range. We discussed what roll eating the right food plays in preventing or reversing type [...]

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For a number of years, one of my family members was diagnosed  as prediabetic for type 2 diabetes. Overweight, overeating, and under exercising left her vulnerable to the disease. Now, six years later she has lost over 80 pounds, and eats a much more balanced diet. Although she is not yet in shape to run a marathon, [...]

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Mobility scooters are a great way for seniors to get around when they are unable to walk for any length of time, if at all. My father had one for several years, but now is able to get around quite well. I found this article  and thought you might find value as it provides more information [...]

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While the recession appears to slowly recede, many people are still finding themselves without work. Many other seniors are deciding to take early retirement packages when offered by their employers, retiring as early as fifty-five to sixty-years-old. Fortunately, there are senior job opportunities available for those who want to supplement their income.

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